SECRETARY-GENERAL VISITS ZIMBABWE, 1 - 3 JUNE

5 June 1997

Press Release
SG/T/2101

SECRETARY-GENERAL VISITS ZIMBABWE, 1 - 3 JUNE

19970605 The Secretary-General arrived in Harare on Sunday, 1 June. On the evening of his arrival, he was guest of honour at a dinner given by the United Nations country team in Zimbabwe. Other guests included heads and deputy heads of United Nations agencies, Dr. Hiroshi Nakajima of the World Health Organization (WHO), Henri Lopez of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), and K.Y. Amoako of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA). The Secretary-General addressed the Organization of African Unity's (OAU) summit on 2 June. The text of his speech is available as press release SG/SM/6245. While in Harare, the Secretary-General had the opportunity to meet on Monday with, among others, the President of Algeria, Liamine Zeroual; his Special Representative for Angola, Alioune Blondin Beye (Mali); the President of Angola, Eduardo dos Santos; President Nelson Mandela of South Africa; the President of Congo-Brazzaville, Pascal Lissouba; and the President of the Sudan, Omer Hassan Ahmed Al Bashir. On Tuesday, 3 June, the Secretary-General had a full schedule of meetings, mainly with heads of State or government. These appointments included breakfast with the newly re-elected Secretary-General of the OAU, Salim Ahmed Salim. The two leaders discussed the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and in Sierra Leone, as well as relations between the two Organizations. The Secretary-General also met with the President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Laurent Kabila. During the day, the Secretary-General met with Joaquin Alberto Chissano, President of Mozambique; President Yassir Arafat of the Palestinian Authority; President Hassan Gouled Aptidou of Djibouti; President Major Pierre Buyoya of Burundi; Pasteur Bizimungu of Rwanda; President Benjamin Mkapa of the United Republic of Tanzania; Meles Zenawi, Prime Minister of Ethiopia; President Sam Nujoma of Namibia; Hossein Sheykholislam, Deputy Foreign Minister of Iran; President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda; the Ambassador of the United States, Howard Volpe; and the Ambassador of Ghana, Patrick Adubofour-Twumasi. Before departing for the airport, the Secretary-General gave a press conference. He answered questions on his talks with President Kabila, on donor money to African countries, on his position on Nigerian intervention in Sierra Leone, and on United Nations and Security Council reforms. The Secretary-General departed on the evening of 3 June for a one-day visit to London.

* *** *